Oberonia fallax J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 18 (1935) 22, pl. 5, fig. 10
Type: Docters van Leeuwen 9739 (syn L); 9825 (syn L)
Stems closely spaced, elongated, laxly ribbon-like, compressed, broadly winged by the decurrent leaves, c. 15 cm long, to 0.55 cm wide, c. 7-leaved; internodes to 3 cm long. Leaves not articulated, erect-patent, slightly incurved, slightly sigmoid, linear-lanceolate, acute, at the base split and sheathing, the middle ones largest, to 5.5 cm long, 0.65 cm wide; sheath tubular, strongly compressed. Inflorescence densely many-flowered, cylindrical, 0.75-0.8 cm diam. across the flowers; rachis 5.3 cm long, narrowly winged, the wings minutely finely laciniate. Floral bracts appressed, concave, oblong, subulate-apiculate, irregularly erose-lacerate, 0.23 cm long, almost 0.1 cm wide. Flowers widely patent, 0.33 cm wide, 0.28 cm long, with widely patent, glabrous sepals and petals. Median sepal oblong, very shortly pointed, convex, 1-nerved, 0.15 cm long, almost 0.06 cm wide. Lateral sepals divergent, making an obtuse angle, slightly recurved, convex, obliquely oblong, obtuse, 1-nerved, 0.13 by 0.08 cm. Petals obliquely narrowly lanceolate, slightly dilated towards the apex, subobtuse, slightly angular-concave, 1-nerved, 0.18 by 0.05 cm. Lip making an acute angle with the ovary, slightly concave, oblong-pandurate, at the base cordate-ovate, with two very small, backwards-pointing, rounded, slightly incurved auricles, half-clasping the column, 3-nerved, with a shallow hollow at the base,, near the middle slightly constricted, at the apex dilated and with two triangular, obtuse, porrect lobules separated by a rather broad sinus; lip in total 0.15 cm long, at the base 0.08 cm wide, in the middle 0.04 cm wide, at the apex slightly more than 0.05 cm wide. Column very short, dorsally convex, at the apex truncate; clinandrium conspicuous, hollowed out, transversely broadly subelliptic. Anther cucullate, transversely oblong. Rostellum porrect, triangular, obtuse. Stigma transverse. Ovary including the pedicel 0.25 cm long, with 6 slightly raised and very indistinctly incised ridges; after fertilisation with narrow, sparsely laciniate wings. (After Smith, 1935)
Colours: Flowers light creamy yellow.
Habitat: Epiphyte on trunks of small trees in lowland forest, growing in shaded positions; 125 to 175 m.
Flowering time in the wild: August.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 485-114M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm growing epiphyte, requires shaded position.